This podcast is a repost, was originally published on July 12, 2017.

Series: Significance of Water Baptism

Baptism is not just an external symbol, it is an act from the heart based on our beliefs. If we want ourselves and others to experience Jesus in a fresh way, we must talk to them about baptism and practice it in our lives.

• Baptism happens only once so it is necessary that we learn more about it and teach those who are preparing to be baptised.
• Jesus Himself set an example for us to get baptised. He did not get baptized because He was of age or because He was a sinner but because He was a forerunner, setting an example for us. The Bible talks of Jesus being the first born, which means we need to follow what Jesus has done, including water baptism.
• From the above verse, we learn that there are three elements at work when one gets saved. In the book of Acts, when Peter was asked by someone on how to be saved, Peter said ‘repent of your sins and be baptised and God will give you the Holy Spirit’.
• Repent of your sins: The pure, precious blood of Jesus is at work the moment you repent of your sins and turn to God. His blood washes away your sins
• Be baptised: The second element at work is the water. When you go under the water, you disconnect from the past and bury your old self.
• Holy Spirit: The third element is the presence of the Holy Spirit. When Jesus came out of the water, the Holy Spirit came down from heaven in the form of a dove and settled on Jesus.

• All three elements put together identifies Jesus as the child of God, as the only begotten Son of God. When we do the first two i.e. repent and be baptized, God will fill us with the Holy Spirit; that is something God will do from His side.

We hope and pray that each one of us will experience and discover our true identity as a child of God and that none of us will take this identity for granted and the fact that God wants us to not just be washed by His blood but also to go into the waters of baptism and testify His love.

If you have been praying for the Holy Spirit to fill you, we pray that you will get serious about this and speak to your pastor, mentor or who ever might have shared Jesus with you, that you want to be identified as a child of God not only by being washed in the blood but also by going into the water; just like Jesus was identified as the Son of God by both blood and water.